Lake Fork(rio Grande Natl Fore

Colorado Rockies

LAKE FORK(RIO GRANDE NATL FORE in Colorado Rockies — photo 4

Lake Fork(rio Grande Natl Fore

Colorado Rockies

About this campsite

Overview

Lake Fork Campground sits in the Rio Grande Forest, 40 miles northwest of Antonito, Colorado. The campground is a true getaway from any city, and requires an 18-mile drive on a gravel road. This high elevation campground boasts limitless beauty with mountain peaks, alpine wildlife spotting and several varieties of birds.

Recreation

The campground is convenient to several trails, such as Lake Fork to Big Lake and Conejos Peak to Blue Lake.

The Conejos River is a Gold Medal River, meaning it offers the greatest potential for trophy trout fishing. Rainbow and brown trout are the most common species in the river.

Facilities

Some campsites overlook the river. There is one centrally located drinking water spigot. All parking spurs are gravel. Firewood can be purchased on-site. No electric hookups are available.

Campers will find an old-fashioned steel tub bath at Brummel's Rocky Mountain Lodge about 10 miles south.

Natural Features

The campground is located in south central Colorado on the banks of the Conejos River. It is shaded by spruce, aspen and a few cottonwoods and willows at an elevation of 9,500 feet.

A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including black bears, deer and marmots. Wildflowers dot the region, creating colorful landscapes for photography enthusiasts.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (805) 434-1996.

Nearby Attractions

Take in spectacular views of the Conejos Canyon and River along Forest Road 250.

Location

LAKE FORK(RIO GRANDE NATL FORE•CO

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

MON🌧️

8° / 4°

💧 83%

TUE🌧️

8° / 4°

💧 74%

WED🌨️

5° / 2°

💧 96%

THU☁️

12° / -1°

💧 84%

FRI☀️

17° / 2°

💧 4%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

8.0 km away

PLATORO CABIN 2

Overview Platoro Cabin 2 is located downtown in the small mining town of Platoro, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,000 feet in the Rio Grande National Forest. The cabin was built in 1963 as a base quarters for various Forest Service Crews working in the surrounding areas until the early 1990s. Today the cabin is a getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in south-central Colorado. Recreation The area around the cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings great scenic driving tour opportunities in and around Platoro and Summitville. Anglers have a spectacular backdrop when fishing Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. The nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for kokanee salmon, rainbow and brown trout. Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, as well as the South San Juan Wilderness. Big game hunting is popular in fall, while snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular winter activities. Facilities The accessible cabin has a combination kitchen/living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. It is furnished with two bunkbeds, with twin beds on the top and pull-out full beds on the bottom, that can accommodate up to six people. It has a heater, stove, refrigerator and lighting, all powered by propane. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs and cooking gear and the bathroom has a flush toilet and shower. The cabin has entry ramps and wheelchair accessible facilities in the bathroom and the kitchen. Although the cabin has most amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. The town of Platoro has many amenities including a grocery store, rental cabins, a small lodge, outfitter-guide services and horseback rides. Natural Features Platoro is a natural and unspoiled destination nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Platoro started out as a boomtown in the late 1800s following the discovery of large deposits of gold and silver in the area. The nearby San Juan Wilderness is an area defined by peaks and cliffs as well as pinnacles and ridges. The headwaters for the Conejos, San Juan and Blanco Rivers are located here as well. The erosion of rich volcanic rock in combination with heavy snowfall has produced forest ecosystems in the area that transition from lodgepole pine to aspen, then through Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir to alpine tundra. Nearby Attractions Summitville, Colorado, is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (719) 274-8971.

8.0 km away

PLATORO CABIN 1

Overview Platoro Cabin 1 is located downtown in the small mining town of Platoro, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,000 feet in the Rio Grande National Forest. The cabin was built in 1963 by the Rio Grande National Forest as base quarters for various Forest Service Crews working in the surrounding areas until the early 1990s. Today the cabin is a getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in south central Colorado. Visitors to the area should be aware that Platoro is only occupied when snow levels allow driving access, which is usually less than six months of the year. Recreation The area around the cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings great scenic driving tour opportunities in and around Platoro and Summitville. Anglers have a spectacular backdrop while fishing Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. Nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for kokanee salmon, rainbow and brown trout. Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests as well as the South San Juan Wilderness. Big game hunting is popular in fall, while snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular winter activities. Facilities The cabin has a combination kitchen/living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. It is furnished with two bunkbeds, with single beds on the top and foldout double beds on the bottom, accommodating up to six people. It has a heater, stove, refrigerator and lighting, all powered by propane. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs and cooking gear. In the bathroom there is a flush toilet and showers. Although the cabin has most amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. Nearby Platoro Cabin #2 is similar to Platoro Cabin #1, with the addition entry ramps and wheelchair accessible facilities in the bathroom and the kitchen. The town of Platoro has access to rental cabins, a small lodge, outfitter-guide services and horseback rides. Natural Features Platoro is a natural and unspoiled destination nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Platoro started out as a boomtown in the late 1800s following the discovery of large deposits of gold and silver in the area. The nearby San Juan Wilderness is an area defined by peaks and cliffs as well as pinnacles and ridges. The headwaters for the Conejos, San Juan and Blanco Rivers are located here as well. The erosion of rich volcanic rock in combination with heavy snowfall has produced forest ecosystems in the area that transition from lodgepole pine to aspen, then through Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir to alpine tundra. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (719) 274-8971. Nearby Attractions Summitville is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s. When contaminants leaked off-site and flowed into the local watershed the government forced it to shut down. Now a water treatment plant is on the site as part of a federal clean up program.